How to best fight illegal drugs.
The National African American Drug Policy Coalition is a new organization that seeks to reform drug enforcement laws to take a more public health oriented approach to fighting drugs. (*)
In general, I agree with the new group’s stance. Nevertheless, it is critical for the well-being and sanity of society that these reform efforts don’t go too far. We should continue to stigmatize illegal drug users with imprisonment. Decriminalization is not the right goal.
Despite the presence of drug legalizer Kurt Schmoke in the new Coalition’s leadership, the Coalition is not apparently desirous of decriminalization.
Another issue is the disparity in sentencing for crack cocaine and cocaine in powder form. The original justifcation for the disparity was that crack users are more dangerous to society than powder cocaine users. Powder cocaine users are much less likely than crack users to knife random passersby to rob them of a few dollars, for example.
Yet, it is right to look at the disparity with skepticism. Powder cocaine can be manufactured into crack cocaine. Furthermore, the greater prices of powder cocaine and hence greater illegal profits may in effect subsidize the cocaine cartels that also push crack.
Instead of reducing criminal sentences for crack cocaine possession, we should increase the criminal sentences for powder cocaine possession up to the level of crack-related sentences.
In certain, well-defined cases, however, drug treatment would benefit society more than imprisonment.
Drugs continue to plague large segments of our society, including numerous African-American families. Addititionally, the terrorist Enemy is in league with some drug pusher networks.
The National African American Drug Policy Coalition should be commended for championing the public health approach, an approach that will prove critical if the evil reign of illegal drugs is ever to be decisively turned back.